Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Honkanen

Publications and source records attributed to R Honkanen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Impact of acute alcohol intoxication on patterns of non-fatal trauma: cause-specific analysis of head injury effect.

The impact of alcohol on injury patterns was studied by using 14,920 injured men aged 15-64 years seen in an emergency room in Helsinki, Finland. Blood alcohol was estimated by clinical evaluation and breath test, and was coded into a three-grade intoxication code. Intoxication was recorded in 19.7 per cent. Head injury was more common among the intoxicated (64.1 per cent) than among the sober (17.6 per cent). The odds of head injury, if 1.0 among the sober, was 8.3 among the intoxicated. This head injury effect (HIE) was found in every major external cause category: falls 15.4, traffic 3.0, other unintentional injury 3.4 and assault 2.6. A major difference in HIE was found by hospitalization status: 2.1 for hospitalized and 9.8 for ambulatory patients. Alcohol seems to produce mostly low-energy events (like falls) resulting usually in minor, though potentially dangerous, head injury.

Accidents↗
PubMed1991

Incidence of falling injuries leading to medical treatment in the elderly.

The incidence of falling injuries leading to medical treatment was described by sex, age, marital status, education, amount of daily motion, self-perceived health, mechanism of fall and severity of injury. Material was collected regarding persons aged 65 years or over seeking medical treatment due to a fall during a period of one year. Altogether 3.8% of the elderly population (men: 2.5%; women: 4.4%) sought medical treatment due to a fall at least once during this year. When repeated falls were taken into account, the total incidence rate was 5.5 per 100 persons per year. The cumulative incidence rate (percentage of persons seeking medical treatment due to a fall) of women was higher than that of the men and in both sexes it increased with age. It was also higher for unmarried, widowed or divorced persons than for married ones, and higher in less educated persons than in better educated ones. It was also higher in persons with a low amount of daily motion or poor self-perceived health than in persons with a moderate or high amount of daily motion or good health status. The multivariate analyses based on log-linear models showed two-term interactions. A low amount of daily motion, poor self-perceived health and high age were independently related to the occurrence of a fall leading to medical treatment in both sexes.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1990

The role of alcohol in nonfatal bicycle injuries.

To assess the risk of nonfatal bicycle injury related to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) an unmatched case-control study was conducted in Helsinki in 1986. Eligible cases were the 140 adults injured either in motor vehicle or other bicycle accidents occurring between 3 P.M. and 10 P.M., who arrived at hospital within six hours of injury. Seven hundred bicyclists from the street were randomly selected as controls. BAC was measured with a breathalyzer. A major difference in alcohol involvement was found between cases (24.1%) and controls (4.0%). The injury risk estimate (odds ratio) of an inebriated bicyclist was at least ten-fold at BACs above 100 mg/dl compared to a sober bicyclist. Alcohol increased the bicyclist's risk of injury from falling more than from collision. As an unprotected road user, an inebriated bicyclist greatly increases his own risk of injury but seldom causes danger to other road users.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Impact of acute alcohol intoxication on the severity of injury: a cause-specific analysis of non-fatal trauma.

The impact of alcohol on the severity of injury was studied by using injured patients from an emergency room in Helsinki, Finland. Blood alcohol content was estimated either clinically or with a breath test and then was recorded using a three-grade intoxication code (Ethyl sign). The study population was comprised of 14,995 men aged 15-64 years. The Ethyl sign was positive in 19.7 per cent. Hospitalization was used as an indicator of the severity of injury. Hospitalization was almost as common among sober (9.3 per cent) as among intoxicated patients (9.6 per cent) and the odds of being hospitalized, if considered 1.0 among the sober, was 1.03 among the intoxicated. However, the severity of injury correlated positively with the alcohol intoxication in the injured car occupants with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.1 (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 1.7-5.6) and in those injured in falls from stairs (OR = 2.6; 95 per cent CI 1.4-4.7), but negatively in those injured in unspecified falls on the same level (OR = 0.3; 95 per cent CI 0.2-0.6). The effect of alcohol on injury severity seems to vary with the cause of injury.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1990

Males as a high-risk group for trauma: the Finnish experience.

The high incidence of trauma among young men has been observed in many countries. To better understand this risk, we analyzed male injuries and their causes in Finland. The incidence peak of medically attended trauma in men aged 15-24 years was caused by occupational and sports injuries, whereas that of hospitalizations was due to motor vehicle injuries. Age patterns of nonfatal trauma resembled those recorded in the U.S.A. However, patterns and causes of fatal trauma were very different in the two countries: early adulthood in the U.S.A. and late middle-age in Finland were the ages of highest injury mortality. The majority of deaths in young men were caused by motor vehicle injuries in the U.S.A., whereas suicides and the extremely high rate of fatal non-motor vehicle accidents, largely due to alcohol poisoning and drownings, formed the main bulk of injury mortality in Finland. Similarities in early adulthood suggest general biological factors, whereas the deviance of the middle-aged male Finns from the general pattern may indicate more specific psychosocial factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The necessity and safety of calcium and vitamin D in the elderly.

The necessity and safety of an oral calcium (Ca) and vitamin D regimen was evaluated in a population of 66 independently living and 73 institutionalized elderly women over an 11-week winter period. The members of both groups were randomly assigned into trial and control groups. Serum Ca, creatinine, and calcidiol levels were measured before and after the trial. The regimen consisted of 1.558 g of Ca and 45 micrograms (equal to 1,800 IU) of vitamin D administered daily in addition to the normal diet. The controls received no treatment. A majority of the elderly subjects living independently had ensured their Ca, and a quarter of them also their vitamin D intake on their own initiative. The mean serum calcidiol concentration before the trial was 24.1 nmol/L in the institutionalized and 38.5 nmol/L in the elderly subjects living independently (P less than .001). After the trial, serum calcidiol was 10.4 nmol/L in the institutionalized control subjects and had decreased (P less than .001) in both control groups, but increased (P less than .001) in both treatment groups. The safety indicators, serum Ca, creatinine, and calcidiol, did not indicate any group or individual side effect.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Phosphorylation of an inositol phosphate-stimulated protein phosphatase by protein kinase C.

It is shown that the catalytic subunit of an inositol phosphate-stimulated protein phosphatase (a member of the type-1 protein phosphatase family) purified from bovine brain membranes is phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C, but not by protein kinase A or by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. The phosphorylation of the protein phosphatase by protein kinase C induces an increased sensitivity to stimulation by Ins (1,4,5)P3, Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5 and heparin.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Incidence and characteristics of bicycle injuries by source of information.

Data from analysis of bicycle injuries in a defined, semirural Finnish population were compared with the national hospital discharge register and official police statistics and were related to national data on prevalence of bicycling. The results suggested an incidence of 7.3 injured persons/1000 population, which was 20-fold the figure derived from the police statistics. Inclusion of injuries treated at health centres doubled the number requiring medical attention. Bicycle injuries accounted for 52% of all traffic injuries. A motor vehicle was involved in 11% of bicycle injuries. In these accidents 18% of the victims were hospitalized, but only 6% in other bicycle accidents. Police and hospital records overestimated the proportion of motor vehicle crashes, involvement of elderly persons and incidence of head injuries and fractures. Non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents accounted for most of bicycle injuries, for 58% of in-patients and 93% of out-patients. Information from all levels of health care is required for injury control.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

Incidence of burns requiring hospitalization in Finland in 1980.

In 1980 there were 1296 emergency hospitalizations for burn injuries in Finland, averaging 27 per 10(5) inhabitants. The incidence varied from 20 to 58 per 10(5) by central hospital district, 70% of the patients were men. The incidence was higher among men than women at all ages. High risk population groups were children aged 0-4 and men aged 80 years and over. The incidence was higher in rural than urban areas. That was true especially among the elderly, whereas the opposite was true among small children. Most (59%) of the burns were caused by hot substances. Open fire caused 16%. The treatment of burns accounted for a total of 23,327 hospital days. The average duration of the emergency hospital stay was 14.3 days. Causes of regional variation and high incidence among old men require further research. The establishment of burn units in high risk areas should be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Mortality from violent causes among the elderly population in Finland in 1951-1979.

The changes in violence-related mortality rates among the population aged 65 years or older in Finland from 1951-1979 were studied with the help of the official mortality statistics. Factors underlying these changes were also examined. The most distinctive findings were, first, the increase in accident-related mortality rates of both males and females in the 1950s and, second, the sharp decrease of those rates with respect to women from 1960-1975 compared to the decrease for males during that same period. The changes in mortality for males were mainly due to changes in frequency of motor-vehicle fatalities, whereas the changes for females were mainly due to changes in mortality caused by accidental falls and limb fractures. Improvements in classification methods resulting in the decrease of unspecified causes of death were apparently the main cause of the recorded increase in violent mortality in the early 1950s. The incidence of traffic accidents has decreased in the latter half of the 1970s. Thus, the minor decrease in motor-vehicle accident mortality for men most evidently was due to a decreased incidence. The incidence of hip and limb fractures in women increased. Thus, it was not a lowered incidence but instead a decreased case-fatality rate which caused the decreased mortality in females. Early mobilization after hip operations and decreased dependence level among the elderly apparently resulted in the decreased fatality rates.

Accidents↗
PubMed1985

The influence of total hip replacement on hip pain and the use of analgesics.

The influence of total hip replacement (THR) on pain and use of analgesics was evaluated in 511 patients with McKee-Farrar and Brunswik prostheses. The mean age of the patients was 63.8 years and the mean follow-up time 4.2 years. The average grade of pain decreased from 1.8 to 4.9 as evaluated according to Charnley. The proportion of regular users of all analgesics decreased from 75% to 17% (P less than 0.001). Indomethacin was the most common preoperative drug and the proportion of its regular use decreased from 47 to 12% (P less than 0.001). The preoperative association which existed between the grade of pain and the regular drug users in each pain grade decreased more than expected by the preoperative figures. Postoperatively those with previous hip operations, McKee-Farrar prosthesis, one hip replaced, reapplications and removal of the prosthesis gave inferior results with respect to pain than those without previous surgery, with Brunswik prosthesis, both hips replaced and with the original prosthesis in situ. In addition to previous THR operations, type of the hip prosthesis, bilateral or unilateral surgery, primary or secondary coxarthrosis and reapplication of the prosthesis influenced the use of drugs. THR, however, brought a marked drop in the use of analgesics and this effect should be taken into account when assessing the costs and benefits of THR.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1985

Outcome of sports injuries treated in a casualty department.

The present investigation analyses 2493 patients with a sports injury treated in a casualty department during a one-year period. Of the patients 73% were men, the age of the patients averaging 26 years and the mean follow-up time was 24 months. Soccer and indoor ball games caused 24% and 23% of the injuries respectively, these being followed by injuries in ice hockey in 14%. Track and field injuries scored low with 2% out of all injuries. Injuries to the lower extremity predominated. At follow-up, ligamentous injuries of the lower extremity were the major cause of discomfort. Further, in the group of patients with persistent discomfort 36% had suffered a fracture or a dislocation, 13% a contusion and 10% a wound. The mean period of sports incapacity after a sustained injury was 3 weeks. In track and field events the injury seldom disturbed training for more than one week, but in soccer, indoor ball games, skiing and skating the mean sports incapacity period varied between 6 and 3 weeks. Out of the total injured, 2% had to give up their sports activity completely. An injury of the lower extremity demanded on average 4 weeks' rest, an injury of the upper extremity and the trunk 2 weeks and injuries of the head and neck one week's rest. According to the present investigation sports injuries were in the majority of cases of a relatively benign nature and sick leave from work seldom exceeded 2 weeks.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1983

The role of alcohol in accidental falls.

Fifty-three percent of patients injured in accidental falls in the evening in Helsinki and 15% of time-, site- and sex-matched control pedestrians were alcohol-involved. Relative risk of injury, if 1.0 at zero BAC, was 3 at BACS 60-100 mg/100 ml, 10 at 101-150 mg/100 ml and about 60 at BACS above that.

Accident Proneness↗
PubMed1982

The role of socio-economic status and place of residence in total hip replacement.

The influence of socio-economic status and place of residence on walking ability, performance of daily activities and the aid required in these activities were evaluated among 539 total hip replacement (THR) patients. The walking ability of patients of higher socioeconomic status and of urban origin was better than that of patients of lower socio-economic status and of rural origin, both before and after THR. There were no significant interclass differences in the improvement in walking ability. The same pattern was valid as regards preoperative and postoperative performance of daily activities and the need for assistance. Neither socio-economic status nor place of residence had any significant influence on the improvement in the performance of daily activities or on the decrease in use of an aid. Earlier total hip replacement is recommended for patients of lower socio-economic status and for those living in rural areas.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1980

Role of drugs in traffic accidents.

Serum samples from 201 drivers who presented at emergency departments within six hours after being injured in a road accident and 325 control drivers selected randomly at petrol stations were screened for drugs by combined thin-layer and gas chromatography. Blood alcohol concentrations were also measured, and a questionnaire on the subjects' state of health and use of drugs administered. At interview 30 patients (15%) and 44 controls (13%) said that they had taken drugs in the previous 24 hours. Four patients (2%) and six controls (2%) said that they had taken psychotropic drugs, but serum analysis detected psychotropic drugs in 10 patients (5%) and eight controls (2.5%). Diazepam was found in 16 of the 18 subjects in whom psychotropic drugs were detected. Alcohol was detected in 30 patients (15%) and three controls (1%). Drug use appeared to be somewhat lower in Finland than in other Western countries, and illness to be a more important traffic hazard than drugs in general. Interview was not a reliable method of establishing whether drivers had taken psychotropic drugs. Taking diazepam may increase the risk of being involved in a traffic accident, but alcohol was the most powerful risk factor.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1980

Construction of the computerized accident registration system in a casualty department.

The main benefit of computerized accident registration systems is that they assist, with the help of multi-dimensional cross-tabulation of variables, in the identification of high injury risk areas in the community. The E code of the International Classification of Diseases has been the traditional means for the causal classification of injuries. The applicability of its abridged version in ambulatory care settings was tested by the development of a classification with 50 accident type categories in the framework of the computerized statistics in a large casualty department treating more than 30 000 new injuries annually. With maximally effective coding, the proportion of the 'Other accidents' category of the E code (E929) of all injuries can be reduced to 10%, but not less than that without its division into subcategories. Obviously, the E code should be further developed, better to meet the needs of ambulatory care. The registration system of this casualty department includes also a 15-category accident place classification, a 3-digit ICD diagnosis as well as demographic and time variables. In order to improve its problem identification power, accident object (agent) should still be added into its variable arsenal.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1980

Victims of assault attending casualty departments.

Victims of assault make up about 8% of all adult injury cases. The purpose of this study was to analyse the personal characteristics and injuries of 518 victims of assault (=case material) and 496 accidentally injured (=controls), selected at random in a large casualty department. The proportion of males was higher among the assault cases than among controls (76 vs. 61%). Assault victims were more concentrated in the age range 15 to 44 years (81 vs. 64%). Fifty per cent of the cases and 8% of the controls were intoxicated, while the rates of chronic misuse of alcohol were 37 and 18%, respectively. Forty seven per cent of the cases and 18% of the controls arrived at night. Assault cases had sustained mostly minor head injuries. However, injuries needing referral to the ENT department or Dept. of jaw surgery were also common. Casualty departments are well suited to victim studies. Additional information as to social background, criminality and psychiatric morbidity of victims is needed.

Adolescent↗